were already so wearied by their endless warfare, as to have begun a sort of negotiation; when the news of the revolution, which placed Braganza on the throne of Portugal, entirely altered the relation in which they stood to each other. With this great event, and with a retrospective view of several expeditions of discovery on the Orellana, Mr. Southey concludes his volume. Our readers cannot but perceive, we think, even from the short and imperfect sketch to which our li mits have confined us, that the history of Brazil is a subject of no common interest; and that the powers of its historian are such, as will place him in a rank with the most considerable names in the department he has chosen. To the second volume we look forward with increased expectation, both from the augmented importance of Brazil as connected with the rest of the world, and from the valuable manuscript sources of information which the author announces himself to possess, and which have enabled him to supply a period in the history of this rising empire, as utterly unknown to European readers, as the annals of China or Japan. On the present volume we have but few observations to offer. Many valuable canons of colonial policy might be laid down or confirmed from the facts here given; among which, one of the most striking is, the advantage of encouraging a mixed breed between the natives and settlers, and of indentifying these Mestizos with the colonists of purer blood, by an equality of rank and an admission to the same privileges and employments. The Portuguese alone, of all the European nations, seem, both in Brazil and India, to have pursued this policy; and if, with them, the effects have not been more striking, it is only because the Mestizos and the purer race have been sunk under equal disadvantages of religion and government. The ex VOL. V. 2 L tent to which this system has been carried by the Portuguese, and the surprise with which our English sailors regarded the state assumed by the swarthy governours of their small, insular settlements, is often to be remarked in the accounts of voyagers about the beginning of the last century; and we trust that Mr. Southey will not overlook, in his second volume, the circumstances that have produced a peculiarity which appears to us both amusing and instructive. The race of man in all his animal powers, is decidedly improved by mixture; and even in his noble faculties. if greater genius be not produced, a more ardent and restless activity is superadded, which makes the man of colour a most valuable ally, or a most dangerous enemy. The Portuguese have made him the former; and it is to this intermixture of native blood, and to the exertions of this hot and hardy race, which derive their pedigrees from the kindred of Caramuru, that the house of Braganza is indebted for that city which is now the seat of their empire, and for the treasures and resources of the finest region in the world. What has been the consequence of a different line of policy, is written in blood on the shores of Hayti; and is no less legible in the vices and ignorance of those neglected offsprings of Europeans→→→ the disgrace and peril of our eastern and western settlements. Albuquerque encouraged his soldiers to marry native women, and settle in India with their families. Lord Valentia seriously recommends that the children of the English servants of the company should be forbidden to remain in their territories. "Which is the wiser here, justice or iniquity?"--the cruel Portuguese, or the humane and enlighted Briton?-Another point on which we anticipate much valuable information, is, the maturing the Jesuits' scheme of instruction, and the pre 266 sent state of the Indies. No Euro- The English in North America did not enslave the aborigenes, but they treated them with brutal neglect and impolicy, and they encouraged their wandering habits by the traffick in peltry: they stimulated their evil passions by employing them in war; and they communicated to them no other tincture of civilisation but European diseases, and European, spirituous liquors. The Spaniards and Portuguese were, at first, indeed, oppressive and inhuman; but they have at least taken pains to domesticate the remnant whom they spared, and we apprehend their missions have since more than paid the debt of their original excesses. In comparing, as every one who reads his work will naturally more or less compare, Mr. Southey, with Robertson, the most obvious, though certainly not the most important difference, is the occasional quaintness, and affectation of the style of antiquity, which we shortly noticed in the beginning of the present strictures, and which are very opposite indeed, to the unfailing polish, the sweetness of diction almost to satiety, and the other " dulcia vitia" of his elegant predecessor. A little homeliness, a few archaisms, and a style, for the most part, founded on that of our beautiful version of the Scriptures, possess, indeed, when introduced with judgment and moderation, a dignity of eloquence, which the periods of later days are altogether unable to equal; and many passages may be found in the present volume, which would not disgrace, in harmony, even the best of the authors that have been chosen as models. But if this familiarity with our elder classicks assume the appearance of art or pedantry; if their negligence be evidently studied, and their obsolete or unusual language be ostentatiously and un necessarily brought forward, we are apt to turn with some displeasure from pages which almost require a remind us of the artificial wrinkles glossary, and from ornaments which worn by the triple-crowned lady in the Tatler. In poetry, such archaisms vious reasons, often beautiful; but or uncommon words are, for obwhy, in plain prose, and in ordinary narrative, is" coronal" to drive out Will" plumery" weigh heavier than coronet from its established place? feathers? or will not our homely English drum raise a spirit as soon pery" for napkins and table-cloths, as "tambour?"-Then we have "nais fully as well exprest by breast"poitrals," which it may be thought, plates, and "broads," a plural substantive, which, whether it requires a censor to reform it, or an augur to question. It is true, that amidst six interpret, may admit, perhaps, of a hundred pages of eloquent and powerful writing, a few such flaws as these are hardly worth the noticing, except that they admit of so easy an amendment in a future edition. There is another defect, which to system, and derived from the we believe must be attributed also nicles, but which is a real impedi same familiarity with ancient chroment, not only to the popularity, but to the general usefulness of a historical composition. The want of ject, and of those bird's-eye recapibroad and general views of his subtulations, which serve as a resting place to the attention, and bring at the relative harmony of the objects once before the reader's observation he has gone through in detail. The generality of modern historians have fallen into a contrary extreme, and have given us rather essays on historical subjects, than real and authentick history. Mr. Southey, on the other hand, gives us his facts pains to unite them in a connected as he finds them, and takes little or lucid arrangement. Nothing can exceed the accuracy of his detail, or the life and spirit of his representa— tions; but these glowing scenes pass over the mind as insulated and disjoined as the shadows of a magick lantern, or as visionary kings in Macbeth, without a Banquo to connect and identify them. In more respects than one, his work reminds us of the defects and beauties of the great masters in the infancy of painting, in whose performances every hair was a portrait, and every feature seemed starting into life; but from the want of general effect and keeping, the eye roamed unsatisfied over the picture, and sought relief on slighter but better arranged designs. Robertson wrote only for effect, and gave us sums without their items. The result was inaccurate, indeed, but will always continue popular. Mr. Southey gives the items carefully, and leaves the reader to cast them up himself. Surely he may indulge a little more in those general speculations, which his ardent mind must have often suggested, without relinquishing the advantages which are possessed by superiour accuracy, and the interest he never fails to excite in particular facts, and the conduct of particular individuals. It is partly, however, owing to this habit of viewing actions in detail, and partly, we should almost imagine, to a keenness of the moral sense superiour to that possessed by his predecessor, that Mr. Southey's individual characters possess an interest and value far superiour to those of Robertson. They are not mere links in the chain of events; they are something more than performers in a great political ballet. They are men, accountable men, whose virtues are held up to our imitation, whose vices we are taught to abhor, and the principal end of history, example, is applied on the widest scale, and to the very best of purposes. As a moral writer, Mr. Southey will leave behind him a name which few of his contemporaries will have equalled. In these respects, indeed, it is, perhaps, necessary to observe, that a gradual but important change appears to have taken place in some of our author's opinions. We no longer find in the productions of his pen that querulous discontent under the existing state of society, and that undefined aspiration after fair dreams of unattainable liberty; dreams, indeed, but "such as our Milton worshipped;" which, by the prejudice they excited against his earlier productions, retarded, we believe, the popularity he must otherwise have obtained, till long after maturer age and melancholy experience had subdued and sobered down the livelier tints of his youthful enthusiasm. At present, if we wish to educate in the minds of youth a lofty sense of national dignity, a temperate zeal in the cause of freedom, and a manly hatred for every species of oppression or cruelty; if we desire to raise in them that admiration of individual merit which speaks to the feelings, and stimulates the emulation of the soldier or the citizen, as well as the statesman or general, and makes the study of history a school, not only of national politicks, but of private virtues: if, in short, we wish to breed up such men in England, as England now most needs to preserve her, few better manuals can be found than the works of Robert Southey. There are some errours of the pen, or of the press, we know not which; but, in the prospect of another edition, Mr. Southey will excuse our mentioning them. In page 2, Vicente de Pinzon is said to have sailed with four caravels; page 7, we are told that "out of his three ships he lost two."-A Frenchman would not [p. 136] say "d'être terrible," but "a fin d'être terrible." The Dutch are said [p. 577] to have instructed their Indian allies in Lutheranism; a very singular conduct in men who were themselves Calvinists. Does this errour proceed from excessive familiarity with Porguese authors, who designate all protestants as Lutherans? SPIRIT OF THE MAGAZINES. FROM DR. CLARKE'S TRAVELS. MOSQUITOES IN THE CRIMEA. FEW situations could surpass Kopil [situated in the territory of the Circassians] in wretchedness. Bad air, bad water, swarms of mosquitoes, with various kinds of locusts, beetles, innumerable flies, lizards, and speckled toads, seemed to infest it with the plagues of Egypt. As we left Kopil, we quitted also the river, and proceeded through the marshes to Kalaus. In our way we caught some small ducks, and saw also wild geese. At Kalaus were two young elks, very tame; and we were told that many wild ones might be found in the steppes during the spring. In the course of this journey from Ekaterinedara, as we advanced, the frequent stands of lances announced at a distance the comfortable assurance of the Tchernomorski guard; without which the herds of cattle in the steppes, amounting to many thou sands, would be continually plundered by the Circassians. These guards pass the night on the bare earth, protected from the mosquitoes by creeping into a kind of sack, sufficient only for the covering of a single person, in which they lie upon the thistles and other wild plants of the steppes. At Kalaus there was rather a strong body of the military. From this place to Kourky the dis tance is thirty-five versts [less than twenty-four English miles]. Night came on; but we determined to procould prevent millions of mosquitoes ceed. No contrivance on our part from filling the inside of our carriage, which, in spite of gloves, clothes, and handkerchiefs, renderexcessive irritation and painful sweled our bodies one entire wound. The rious insects, together with a pesling caused by the bites of these futilential air, excited in me a very Cossacks light numerous fires to considerable degree of fever. The drive them from the cattle during thirst of blood, that hundreds will the night; but so insatiate is their attack a person attempting to shelter himself even in the midst of they make in flying cannot be consmoke. At the same time, the noise ceived by persons who have only been accustomed to the humming of such insects in our country. It was, indeed, to all of us a fearful sound, accompanied by the clamour of reptile myriads, toads and bull frogs, whose constant croaking, jointhe lowing of herds, maintained in ed with the barking of dogs, and the midst of darkness an unceasing vel in all hours, without halting for uproar. It was our intention to traany repose; but various accidents compelled us to stop at Kourky about midnight, a military station like the rest; and no subsequent sensation of ease or comfort has ever obliterated the impression made by the suffering of this night. It was near the middle of July. The carriage had been dragged, for many miles together, through stagnant pools; in fording one of which, it was filled with water; and the dormeuse, seat, floor, and well, became, in consequence, covered with stinking slime. We stopped, therefore, to open and inspect the trunks. Our books and linen were wet. The Cossack and Russian troops were sleeping on the bare earth, covered by sacks; and beneath one of these a soldier permitted my companion to lie down. The ground seemed entirely alive with innumerable toads, crawling every where. Almost exhausted by fatigue, pain, and heat, I sought shelter in the carriage, sitting in water and mud. It was the most sultry night I ever experienced; not a breath of air was stirring; nor could I venture to open the windows, though almost suffocated, through fear of the mosquitoes. Swarms, nevertheless, found their way to my hiding place; and when I opened my mouth, it was filled with them. My head was bound in handkerchiefs, yet they found their way into my ears and nostrils. In the midst of this torment, I succeeded in lighting a large lamp over the sword case, which was instantly extinguished by such a prodigious number of these insects, that their dead bodies actually remained heaped in a large cone over the burner for several days afterwards. And I know not any mode of description which may better convey an idea of their afflicting visitation, than by simply relating this fact; to the truth of which, those who travelled with me, and who are now living, bear indisputable testimony. The mortality occasioned by mosquitoes in the Russian army, both of men and horses, was very great. Many of those stationed along the Kuban, died in consequence of mortification produced by the bites of these insects. Others who escaped the venom of the mosquitoes, fell victims to the badness of the air. Sometimes they scoop a hollow in the ancient tombs, to serve dwelling; at other times, a mere shed, constructed of reeds, affords the only covering; and in either of these places, during the greatest heat of summer, they light large fires, in order to fill the air with smoke; flying to their suffocating ovens in the most sultry weather, to escape from the raosquitoes. as a |